1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cable winding devices, and more particularly a cable winding device adapted for field use to reel in and pay out electrical cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When heavy cable, such as that used in electrical transmission lines, is to be replaced, the old cable must be taken down and gathered for re-use or disposal, and the new cable must be paid out, usually from a large reel or spool upon which it is stored and transported. There are therefore two problems encountered; first, gathering a large quantity of bulky elongate material, and secondly, effectively controlling the rate at which the new cable is paid out.
Thus, one type of cable reel drive mechanism which will reel in and pay out at various speeds for different diameters of cable reels is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,118, Hall. There is a base frame unit adapted to fit within the bed of a pick-up truck, which supports a pair of pivotally mounted lift arms, the free ends of which are adapted to receive a bar which extends through the cable reel and about which the reel rotates. The lift arms are lowered rearwardly to pick up a cable reel or spool, and then raised in a circular arc about the pivot connection by a hydraulic piston and cylinder to frictionally engage a transversly mounted roller, which is driven by a chain and sprocket. By activating the roller, the reel member is thereby rotated to reel in or pay out cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,445, Hall, relates to an improved cable winding mechanism having a frictionally engaging surface which has a plurality of fasteners which allow adjustment of wear surfaces, resulting in increased wear life of the wearing surface.
As another example of the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,031, White, illustrates a wire roller apparatus designed for winding and unwinding lengths of wire used in making fences. A number of rows of wire from a supplier may be wound upon a reel of the apparatus, which may then be used for paying out the wire during the construction of the fence. A second embodiment is illustrated wherein an entire reel of wire may be removed from the apparatus. The apparatus may be adjusted to accept wire rolls of different widths.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,392, Garnet, discloses yet another cable reel trailer assembly which has a pair of rearwardly mounted reel supports, one at each side of a vertically movable frame. The supports receive the ends of a reel-supporting shaft at a lowered frame position, which ends are thereafter lifted to raise the reel to a transport or operative position. A hydraulic jack is provided to lower the rear portion of the trailer frame downwardly upon a rocker frame in order to engage the reel, and then raise the frame upwardly from the rocker frame.
A final example of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,599, Rousseau, which illustrates an electrically powered vehicle, such as a feed cart used in a barn, which utilizes a series of idler pulleys and levers to activate a friction drive wheel which rotates a reel. The reel winds up the electrical cord when it becomes slack so that it will not become entangled or soiled. If the cord is taut, upon reaching a predetermined stress, it causes disengagement of the friction drive wheel so that the reel may rotate and pay out more cord.
Because the weight of a substantial length of electrical able may be rather large, there is a need for an assembly which has the capability to not only pay out cable from a loaded reel at a slow rate, but which also is capable of reeling in a substantial length and weight of cable onto an empty reel. The assembly should also be capable of operating with older reels which are somewhat less than perfectly round with near-normal efficiency.